Half of Agricultural Machinery Accidents Involve Tillers, 74% Are Overturns or Falls... "Caution Needed for Safety Accident Occurrence"

Injuries from Agricultural Machinery Accidents Occur Most Frequently in Those Aged 60 and Over

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The government has urged caution regarding safety accidents caused by agricultural machinery such as cultivators and tractors, as the use of agricultural machinery increases until the rice planting season in May.

According to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety on the 18th, there were 6,616 agricultural machinery accidents from 2015 to 2019, resulting in 6,030 casualties. The number of deaths reached 488. By cause, careless driving accounted for the highest at 59% (3,909 out of 6,616 cases), but recently, accidents due to poor maintenance have been increasing. Injuries caused by agricultural machinery occur mostly among the elderly in rural areas, with 67% of all injuries happening to those aged 60 and above. Those aged 70 and older account for 42%.

Also, about half (50%) of all agricultural machinery accidents occur with cultivators, followed by tractors (14%), brush cutters (9%), and power tillers (8%). Among these, 74% of cultivator accidents were due to overturning and falling, and 43% of tractor accidents were also caused by overturning and falling. Cultivators are used evenly across all age groups, with a somewhat higher usage rate among those aged 60 and above.

The government advises that when moving agricultural machinery such as cultivators on narrow farm roads or sloped paths, operators should reduce speed before entering. Since drowsiness from spring fatigue can cause the body to feel sluggish and reduce concentration, leading to accidents, it is important to take sufficient breaks if tired during agricultural machinery operation. It also emphasized that operating agricultural machinery after drinking alcohol is extremely dangerous and must be strictly avoided.

Kim Jong-han, Director of the Prevention and Safety Policy Division at the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, said, “March is an important time to start the year's farming, so agricultural machinery that has not been used for a while must be thoroughly inspected before full use.” He added, “If tired, take breaks during farming work, and especially after snacks or meals, rest sufficiently before continuing work.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.